— Susie Moore, founder of Five Minutes to Famous
“Alexia Vernon’s powerful, thought-provoking stories and ideas will get you thinking, but more importantly, they will give you the tools and boost you need to act in powerful ways so you can step into your moxie.”
— Halelly Azulay, leadership strategist and author of Employee Development on a Shoestring
“Alexia Vernon is a powerhouse. Her storytelling is masterful, her vulnerability absolute, and her insights brilliant. She had to lose her voice to help us find ours, but as you will see in Step into Your Moxie, it was well worth it.”
— Jodi Glickman, author of Great on the Job
“If #MeToo has taught us anything, it is that powerful, brave, and truthful women are needed to topple tired and oppressive systems. Step into Your Moxie is the tool we have been waiting for to unlock female leadership so that our ideas, policies, products, and art take center stage. This book will give you the courage to show up, speak up, and claim your seat at the table.”
— Pamela Slim, author of Body of Work
| New World Library14 Pamaron WayNovato, California 94949 |
Copyright © 2018 by Alexia Vernon
All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, or other — without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.
The material in this book is intended for education. No expressed or implied guarantee of the effects of using the recommendations can be given or liability taken. Some names and identifying characteristics have been changed to protect the privacy of others.
Text design by Tona Pearce Myers
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Vernon, Alexia, author.
Title: Step into your moxie : amplify your voice, visibility, and influence in the world / Alexia Vernon.
Description: Novato, California : New World Library, [2018] | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018022779 (print) | LCCN 2018036208 (ebook) | ISBN 9781608685592 (ebook) | ISBN 9781608685585 (alk. paper) | ISBN 9781608685592(eISBN)
Subjects: LCSH: Self-presentation. | Public speaking.
Classification: LCC BF697.5.S44 (ebook) | LCC BF697.5.S44 V47 2018 (print) | DDC 155.2--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018022779
First printing, October 2018
ISBN 978-1-60868-558-5
Ebook ISBN 978-1-60868-559-2
Printed in Canada on 100% postconsumer-waste recycled paper
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New World Library is proud to be a Gold Certified Environmentally Responsible Publisher. Publisher certification awarded by Green Press Initiative. www.greenpressinitiative.org |
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For my mom — thank you for giving me my words and the moxie to use them. I am who I am because of all the times you told me I was special (even when I felt anything but) and because of the support, space, and all-encompassing love you have given me since the moment I landed in your womb.
And for my dad — thank you for igniting my love of business and leadership and for encouraging all my dreams, especially the totally wackadoodle ones. I’m honored to be your Queen of the Fleet.
CONTENTS
Chapter 1: Headgear, Hairy Legs, and a Quarter Life of Humiliation
Chapter 2: Critics, Cops, and Cheerleaders…Oh My!
Chapter 3: Bunnies Don’t Belong Here (but Cheetahs Do)
Chapter 4: Words, Words, Words
Chapter 5: Your Gut as Your Guide
Chapter 6: Declare Your Desired Destination
Chapter 7: Go for the Holy Yes
Chapter 8: Your Spotlight Is Waiting
Chapter 9: What to Say When the Spotlight Is Yours
Chapter 10: Conflict Is the Pits, Until It Isn’t
Chapter 11: Susan B. Anthony Didn’t Fight for Your Right to Be a Meanie
Chapter 12: When the Universe Bites Your Bum-Bum, Don’t Let Her Steal Your Voice
Chapter 13: Choose Legacy Over Fame
About a decade ago it occurred to me that I was in an on-again-off-again relationship — with my own voice. Maybe you can relate? Perhaps you feel as if you are tap-dancing on eggshells as you strive to be liked and to give the right answers. Or maybe you spend a lot of time hoping, with every cell in your body, that nobody will call you out for not being enough of whatever you conjecture other people want you to be.
And then at other times, sometimes in close proximity to those former times, you have an insufferable need to be recognized and praised for your achievements. You know you were born to make a big, positive impact on the world. And whether or not you believe you are on your way to leaving that legacy, you do know that you want to do more, say more, be more.
If you’re thinking,